Journey of the Xenon Alamance
Story Chapter 1 Kryzacs settled easily in his leather bound chair. It was the first time he had done so, just starting up the Xenon Alamance herself only moments ago, after seeing Makuta Tazzuk off to his own dimension of course. To his right was his lieutenant, Lectra, and his commander, Ghorsaz, a milky white figure the size of a Toa, but favored a long, red scythe over traditional tools. Kryzacs seemingly motioned towards Ghorsaz to give the order to move the ship out of the hanger, which was constructed on an out of the way asteroid millions of miles from Spherus Magna. Like the golden gates of heaven, the twin doors slid open and the Xenon Alamance's engines roared as the great big craft gained altitude. "Ghorsaz," Kryzacs said. "Bring us into the Veram Universe. We have reports that is where the Society HQ ship is currently located. Prepare our offenses as best you can. This will not be an easy battle." Nodding, Ghorsaz ran off to run a million orders, while Lectra stood by Kryzacs's side, waiting for the entire ship to skip dimensions. This nearly impossible feat had only been accomplished by the Society's own Headquarter ship, but Kryzacs had faith in the Xenon Alamance's architect, Arthimedes, so so did Lectra. Minutes later, Ghorsaz returned. "Master, we have received an update on Arthimedes' current location. Solaren is closing in on him." Kryzacs smiled. Arthimedes had only just escaped from his Legion of Death captors weeks after the Xenon Alamance had been completed, in a smaller ship dubbed the Xenon Artha, a small shuttle originally designed to be part of the Xenon Alamance as a gigantic escape pod. Poorly armed, the Legionier Solaren had been sent in a fully armed fighter to hunt down Arthimedes and hopefully recapture him. It seems the hunter has finally at last caught his prey. "Good," Kryzacs said, a sinister grin on his face. "Tell Solaren to bring Arthimedes to the Veram Universe in these specific coordinates." Kryzacs handed Ghorsaz a console. "He must not fail us. Arthimedes in Protector hands could signify a turning point in this young war. He must not fail." "Yes, Master," once again, Ghorsaz retreated down the hallway to a small command center, as the entire Xenon Alamance lurched into the Veram Universe, miles away from the Society of Great Protectors white Headquarter Ship. Chapter 2 The Xenon Artha lurched violently upon impact with Solaren's laser fire, sending Arthimedes back against a wall, much to his annoyance. The constructor of the Xenon Alamance smirked slightly, reflecting upon his ill-fated dash for freedom. Had he been a Great Being like his long fallen friend, Condolance, he may have suceeded. Funny, years studying under his old friend and his work even after his death in constructing the Society of Great Protecters HQ ship lead him here, weaponless, defenseless, simply waiting to get recaptured. Arthimedes gripped his iron staff in futile happiness. Moments later, with a loud thud! Solaren's boarding ship latched onto the Xenon Artha, and it was only a matter of moments until a hole bore through her hull, Solaren himself walking through it. Solaren was a red clad brute who favored burning over any other methods, though his gigantic battle axe often killed before the burns it inflicted could be felt. Calmly, orderly, Solaren reached out to grab Arthimedes by the collar, throughing the architect a sinister smile in an effort to scare him. "My, aren't we far from home," Solaren said. "Did you really think we'd just let you waltz out of here." "No," Arthimedes replied. "I know Kryzacs is far too greedy... and foolish to do that. I will escape yet, fiend, mark my words. You forgot who trained me." "Condolance," Solaren spit out the words like vile. "That scum. Look how his fate turned out. Killed sonstructing a mere ship." "Correction," Arthimedes said. "He sacrificed his life to create the one thing that can and will bring an end to the Legion's crimes. You cannot match their HQ ship. Did you know it was named after my master for some time?" "Heh," Solaren chuckled. "Yes, but this is where you come in, fool. You have constructed a machine for the Legion to undo Condolance's folley." "Heh, yeah," Arthimedes smirked once again. "But fortunately it seems I am not as great as my master." * * * "Daxanere!" The Society of Great Protecters's HQ ship currently was being pelted by an onslaught of laser rounds, courtesy of Makuta Kryzacs. Daxanere sat at the head of a long table with each of his ten generals. "Daxanere, we need to take out their cannon," a yellow skadki General by the name of Grim said. "That thing is massacring us. I say we organize an attack force made of smaller fighters, that can disperse easily if fired upon, to go and take out that gun." "Agreed," Daxanere said. "That cannon cannot stay. However, General Grim, I do not feel an attack force is necessary." "Impossible," Grim responded. "We could teleport there, but that is far too dangerous, even if that ship was not shielded, and you know it!" "Calm down, Grim," Daxanere talked calmly. "We cannot destroy this new Legion Vessel even with that cannon gone. Despite our numbers, we need aid from---- an old friend." "What are you saying?" Skyllair, a Toa spoke up. "What are you hiding from us, Daxanere?" "You know me too well," Daxanere smiled. "Are you all familiar with the tale of the construction of this ship? Condolance, a Great Being made it. You where set to believe he died during cinstruction, in an accident." "So was that accident staged?" Raimare, a Toa of Water asked. "No, the accident was real," Daxanere responded. "However, Condolance did not die. Great Beings can never. However, his soul somehow was transferred into this very ship. Even his body somehow got absorbed into this ship, for it was never found. Condolance is still alive today, but his body... is this ship." "No matter why everything always runs so smoothly," Grim remarked. "It must have been Condolance!" "Indeed," Daxanere replied. "However, Condolance also has other abilities than making sure our mere ship runs smoothly, including..." Chapter 3 Daxanere and Grim treaded on a bleak, uncertain path, down fusty metallic hallways in the Headquarter Ship's core. General Skyllair would coordinate the ship's temporary defensive procedures while Grim and Daxanere journeyed to the center of the great ship, with Daxanere the only one with knowledge of what they where doing. Grim merely was there to make sure nothing collapsed on the Society leader, a task the yellow skadki was accustomed to, for he had much experuence among darkness before his servitude as a Protecter. "Here, Grim, Hold this," Daxanere ordered his general. "This place hasn't seen the light of day since Condolance built it, and even then, it wasn't in good shape." Obediantly, Grim held the iron beam while Daxanere hopped across a walkway. Grim noticed up ahead the metal was jagged and misshapen as if a struggle had occured there. "Dax, is... ," Grim swallowed, processing the scene more. "Is that where it-- Condolance's death-- or, erm, tradegy, took place?" Daxanere merely stared at a hole in the floorboards. "Why, yes it is. Thank you for being so inquisitive. We have to go down this hole. From there, I can hand over the ship to Cindolance." Grim stared uneasily at the jagged hole, "Why here? Couldn't we do it anywhere else?" Daxanere shook his head, "No, and it's for the better. Condolance at heart was a good being, but when given power for too long, many Great Beings tend to, well lose it. Why do you think there's so many of them?" "But still--," Suddenly, a huge impact shook the ship, tossing Daxanere inches from the hole, and Grim directly into it. Smiling, Daxanere floated seamlessy down with aid of his shadow energy, floating over a very annoyed Grim. * * * Solaren nudged Arthimedes with the butt of his blade onto the deck of the Xenon Alamance, to be ushered right to Kryzacs by a crowd of waiting Legioniers. With a parting smack to tge head, Solaren headed to his own quarters on the ship, for a well-deserved rest. Kryzacs heard the Legioniers' footsteps as he immediately rose up a clawed hand to motion for them to leave, leaving Kryzacs alone with Arthimedes, not counting hundreds of other Legioniers hard at work at consoles directing the atrack on the Protecter HQ ship that is. "Arthimedes," Kryzacs said, bearing an unearthly grin. "I can't say I'm surprised. But it is good that you returned my toy to me, the Xenon Artha. Come now, you take me for a fool, Arthimedes. Condolance did. And look where that ended him up." Shock crossed Arthimedes face at this, "I was told Condolance died in a construction accident! What evil is this?" Kryzacs's smile only widened at this, "You got the accident part right, whelp. However you fail to recognize that it was orchestrated by yours truly. Explosives, it seems, are never short of my reach." "You are sick, you know that Kryzacs?" "And you, are just like your master." Kryzacs rushed over to Arthimedes and grabbed his chin. "So soft, so weak, so... foolish. It's funny how foolish you type of people really are. Thinkers. Designers. Revolutionists. Yet at your core your are all fools. You are nothing but tools!" "Heh," Arthimedes laughed. "It's funny, you said explosives are never far from your reach." With this, Arthimedes gave Kryzacs a daring look. "Neither are they from mine." As Arthimedes spoke, a violrnt explosion shook the Xenon Alamance, temporarily stalling their attack. A dead-eyed Legionier looked up from his console for a moment to anniunce to Makuta Kryzacs tgat the Xenon Artha had just exploded, badly damaging the main hangar of the Xenon Alamance. Kryzacs merely picked up Srthimedes by the collar and threw him. "You're fixing that." * * * The Society of Great Protecters HQ ship lurched more violently than it ever before had. Skyllair desperately grapped onto Daxanere's white throne so tge artificial gravity did not hurl him up against a wall. Unsure of the sudden change, Skyllair thanked the Great Beings an explosion ensued from the Xenon Alamance just as the Headquarter Ship began to transform. To an outsider's perspective, one would see the marble white Headquarter Ship twisting and turning in all sorts of directions. An outsider would soon find their mind boggled in vain hope they would be able to keep track of all the changes occuring un the great ship. At its conclusion, two seering blue eyes came to life, and Condolance breathed again. Chapter 4 Ghorsaz could only look up in astonishement as Condolence, now in control of the gigantic robotic body that used to be the Society Headquarter Ship bore down his massive hand on the Xenon Alamance's main cannon, their primary way of attack. Like a great slugger, Condolence gripped it and swang, ripping it from the Xenon Alamance's hull and causing the vessel to spiral out of control. Ghorsaz stood below his master, who was gripping his throne tensely, barking out a million orders to stabilize the ship. It wasn't long afterwards when Condolence began beating the Xenon Alamance's hull with her disfigured cannon, causing irrepairable damage. At this, Kryzacs lost his patience and smacked Ghorsaz on the back on the head, sending him spiraling onto the floor. "Fool, don't you see this isn't wirking," Kryzacs spat, glaring at Ghorsaz in disgust. "We are vulnerable here. We have lost the advantage. We will not win inside this ship." "Are you suggesting we retreat," Ghorsaz said, spitting blood. "No fool," Kryzacs said, preapring to strike Ghorsaz again. "We must drane her, the Alamance, of all her fighters. A swarm we must unleash upon the Protecters. Begone, flee. You shall stay here aboard the Alamance while I command this fleet." Solaren was all but happy when he was called out yet again at Kryzacs's decree. He had already suceeded in recapturing Arthimedes, surely he had earned even a meager five hours rest? Solaren's thoughts where cut short by Kryzacs's entry. Looking down a line of pilots, including Solaren, he smiled in anticipation for battle. This crew would do perfectly. "Gentlemen," Kryzacs announced proudly. "As you may know, we cannot beat the Protecters aboard this ship. We have changed our tactics. Your mission is to enter their Headquarter ship and cause as much havoc as possibly. And search for the power core of the ship. "For years we have been baffled by Condolence's designs for the ship, and still, the core, the heart of the ship that makes all its energy, remains a mystery. After interrogating Arthimedes though, we have determined a vital piece...," Kryzacs said while popping up a 3D image of the Headquarter ship. Kryzacs pointed to a point behind the engines. "...Is here. If we can severe that entire sector, the ship should freeze. Now, due to the Headquarter ship's... current transformation, that spot has been shifted to about the lower legs. That is all the information you need. Without further to do, let's stop wasting time and start this glorious crusade!" Every Legionier in the room, including Kryzacs, clambered into their respective ships at the end of the briefing. Each ship custom made to fit their unique bodies, the mismatch fleet moved out, among Condolence's white, flailing arms, and hailstorm after hailstorm of laser fire. Chapter 5 Kylord clutched Maddnetta close to him, bracing for another impact to rock the Headquarter ship once again. In the days since their initial kidnapping, everyone else had returned home. Kylord and Maddnetta, however, never got that chance, for a battle erupted just as they felt fit enough, physically and mentally, to depart. With them where Rhin, Venox, and Ceirallen, the Protectors who saw them out in the crisis. Rhin ordered the two to grab hold of the corners in their room as he pointed some sort of gun at the wall. Kylord and Maddnetta did instinctively, as red scratches appeared on the wall. Venox crafted a crude uce shield around everyone, boxed in by the Headquarter Ship's current transformations. Slowly, the newly formed red circle in the wall clanked to the ground, and a hailstorm of laser fire erupted from the hole, cutting into the ice shield like swiss cheese. Horrified, Rhin brushed his hand on his bloody chest, before dropping his gun and crumpling to the floor. Venox instinctively picked it up and aimed it at a large, hulking intruder who was now walking through the hole. Strange machinery that looked like the cockpit of a ship could be seen behind the figure. The figure smiled, drawing a large sword almost as big as he was, and flicked it in Venox's direction. A red slash of laser enanated from his weapon, shattering Venox's ice barrier, but never actually reaching Venox. Venox took this chance to open fire on the figure, who merely placed his palm up and in a second a red square of laser cut the shots short. "You like it?" the figure smickered. "New tech. Found it aboard a weakling's ship. Hello Ceirallen, I believe we met before." "Solaren," Ceirallen spit out the name. "You used to be a Protector. But greed owns you, and it ever will. You are a fool." "Not the thing you say to someone who has these," Solaren said, punching at Ceirallen's direction, sending fingers of laser hurtling his way. Ceirallen barely countered with a wall of newly materialized energized protodermis. "Heh, not the thing you say to the person who made you that," Ceirallen said, the energized protdermis now pulsung from one hand to the other. Meanwhile, Kylord and Maddnetta where done hiding in the corner. Both had drawn their weapons, and Maddnetta had formed a large bubble of water in front of her, which she planned on using to coat the ground in front of Solaren when he wasn't looking. Kylord stared blankly at Solaren, sword in hand, trying to size up his weak spots. Ceirallen sent the floating pool of energized protodermis at Solaren. Solaren sent a trunk of red energy at it. When the two streams met, a odd purple substance was made, falling to the floor and singing a great gaping hole. Meanwhile Maddnetta's bubble floated directly under the two streams, before resting in front of Solaren's feet. Following it with his eyes, Ceirallen nodded and allowed his end of the stream to slacken. Solaren smiled with glee and stepped forward to begin cornering Ceirallen, only to slip on Maddnetta's puddle. His beam careened into the cealing as he slipped, and Ceirallen's stream of energized protodermis slammed inti him like bricks. Still sliding, Solaren fell into the newly formed hole in the floor, and for a while, all was silent in the room. Then a loud thud could be heard miles below deck, marking Solaren's passing. Kylord riskily leapt out and over the carapice to pear into Solaren's vehicle. It seemed the thing itself lodged itself onto tge ship and bore a hole through it. Looking uncertaintly at Maddnetta, Venox, Ceirallen, and the dead body of Rhin, Kylord lunged into the cockpit, much to Ceirallen's protest, sealed off the hole, and piloted this dark vessel into the heart of enemy territory. * * * "Master," Ghorsaz spat over the intercom to Makuta Kryzacs's private frequency. "Master, we have confirmed data that says Solaren is dead, as his half of his boarding party. Master, you must understand-" "Silence," Kryzacs's unforgiving voice blasted over the intercom. "The day... is not lost. The Xenon Alamance.... has a.... unexpected ability that we may be able to use." "Why do I feel this'll be dangerous?" Ghorsaz said. "Remember when I was imprisined in the pocket dimension?" Kryzacs lectured Ghorsaz. "It was quite a while ago. And it managed to cripple my powers inumerably. The Xenon Alamance... thanks to some mistakes by Arthimedes... can open a portal to this." "You want me to do that?" Ghorsaz asked, uncertaintly. "You do realize we have the same odds of getting sucked into it as them. Actually moreso, for one, our ship does not have appendages, and two, we're smaller." "I know the odds, Ghorsaz. I only need your obeduance now. Trust me. Now, here's how to made one..." Uncertaintly, Ghorsaz listened to Kryzacs's instructions. Meanwhile he was fiddling with several devices that would reveal the Legion Leader's ship's location. Ghorsaz smiled as he plotted rebellion. Chapter 6 Kylord found himself in a very strange place indeed. Hurtling through space in a ship he barely knew how to pilot, Kylord set a course for a very large window. Chances are, someone important might be there, and going through the hangar and working his way past guards and soldiers would take too long. Adrenaline coursing through his veins, Kylord accelerated Solaren's former craft into the Xenon Alamance. * * * Onboard the Xenon Alamance, Ghorsaz smiled. Fiddling with what seemed to be an endless array of controls, Ghorsaz followed Kryzacs's instructions. With one major difference. "Oh yes, I'll open a portal to the pocket dimension," Ghorsaz said to no one in particular. "Just for you, though." Ghorsaz was nearly done. After slamming down the last of the coordinates, he typed in Kryzacs's coordinates on a red console. Moments after entering the coordinates, however, the sound of a fighter crashing through the Xenon Alamance's fine windows could be heard. Ghorsaz turned around to see a silver figure with a formiddable sword drop out of Solaren's fighter. He threw it, lodging it into Ghorsaz's shoulder and pinning him to the wall. "Look," Kylord said. "I don't know who you are or why you are doing this. But if you value your life, you will call off this attack." Ghorsaz laughed as a blow from Condolence shook the ship. A green light from the red console went off, signifying that Kryzacs's single portal had been placed properly and he had entered it. "That's exactly what I plan to do, Toa," Ghorsaz said, the grin frozen on his face. "I now have an entire Legion of murderers to myself, I don't have need of any battles." "I-- don't understand." "I could explain it to you," Ghorsaz said, digging Kylord's sword out of his arm. "But you would still be confused. Not that you'd live long enough for me to finish. Look at you, a pathetic, little Toa. A long way from his friends. And sadly unarmed." Just then, another tremor shook the Xenon Alamance. This time, it sent Ghorsaz careening overna rail, forcing him to let go of Kylord's sword. Kylord took this chance to grab his sword and run, making his way to the hangars. Below, Ghorsaz held tight to a metal rod protruding from the underside of the cat walk he was standing on. "I can now see why Kryzacs assigned Vice to keep an eye on that Toa. He's smart. But we shall get him soon enough. Soon enough..." * * * Condolence had the Xenon Alamance in a deathlock. Arms sqeezing around the ship, rockets could be seen popping out of place and a sea of ships retreated from the dying vessel. There would still be a sizeable amount of Legioniers stranded in their, for durung the battle, many of their transdimensional devices had been damaged, and Arthimedes destroyed the ship's only official escape pod. The Alamance's neck was breaking. Then her feet. Then her body. The ship lay in ruins, now mere space junk. Satisfied with the role he played, Condolence powered down and reverted to the original Headquarter Ship he had designed. Throughout the white halls on the Headquarter ship, a feunt whisper could be geard, "When there is trouble, I shall always be with you to help." Legioniers defeated, the Heafquarter Ship prepared to make an interdimensional leap. * * * Maddnetta scratched her eyes. At the bottom of Solaren's pit, she could've sworn she saw a cloud of mist menacingly glare at her. Maybe it was just her imagination. Or maybe she should stay away from Kylord and his mad adventures. "Where is Kylord?" Maddnetta thought. "If he's not here soon, I'm going to kill him." As the Condolence was transforming into the Headquarter ship, Solaren's hole closed up by blocks of machinery clicking into place. Rhin's body rolled down the hole before it closed, and nearly swallowed up Maddnetta, too, had she not kept her balance. Maddnetta felt a cold metallic hand on her arm. Spinning around, she saw it was Kylord, smiling at her. "Hello, sister," Kylord said. "Didn't you hear me knock--er---crash into the hangar?" Maddnetta insrinctively hugged Kylord, who unprepared as always, could only let his arms freeze up before returning the favor. Maddnetta immediately broke away and punched Kylord in the face. "Hey, what's that for?" Kylord said, rubbing his nose. "For being a dumbass. I could've lost you, brother." Two doors hissed open, revealing Daxanere, and Grim. Venox, who everyone forgot was still in the room, got up from his corner where he was fiddling with his bow, and rose to see what Daxanere had to say. "You two," Daxanere said, pointing at Maddnetta and Kylord. "I believe it is time to take you home. As for you," Daxanere said, this time gesturing to Venox and Ceirallen. "Good work. You've earned a couple extra days leave." "But, what about Rhin?" Venox said. "Rhin died, defending the Toa," Ceirallen said. "His body, and Solaren's, lie at the bottom floor of this ship. It was a combined effort of all of us that killed him" "Well, that is very saddening to know Captain Rhin is gone," Daxanere said. "But we must move forward. You may want a few extra days to grieve. Believe me, we can spare you. The Legion is a mess, disieganized, and ultimately defeated for the time being." "We'll hold a service fir him in three days," Grim said. "You two are welcome to come. It'll only make you a few extra minutes late if we remain in this dimension jump." "But," Maddnetta said, getting ready to complain how much time they've already spent on this ship. "We'd love to," said Kylord, giving Maddnetta a stern look. "Rhin was our protecter. He held our lives in his hands. It's the least we can do." "Then it has been decided," Daxanere proclaimed. "See you in three days." * * * Deep in the pocket dimemsion, Makuta Kryzacs glowered with hate for Ghorsaz, for the Toa, and for Daxanere. "I will come back," Kryzacs muttered to himself. "And the Multiverse shall feel my wrath grown infinite!" Characters *Kryzacs (belongs to Daxanere1216) *Ghorsaz *Lectra (belongs to Daxanere1216) *Grim *Ghorsaz *Arthimedes *Condolance *Skyllair *Solaren *Raimare *Kylord (belongs to Kylernuva135) *Maddnetta (belongs to ToaMaddnetta) Category:Stories